Final Fantasy VI: Slaves of the Empire
by Mellona
Summary: Terra Branford and Celes Chere - every man, woman, and child knows the names of the two heroines who saved the world from ruin. Everyone knows what they have done but few know the story of their sad childhood and intertwined pasts. One man knows best.
1. Prologue

**Prologue: The Weapon**

I remember the first time I laid eyes on her. She was little more than ten years of age, hardly old enough to be called anything more than a girl, yet old enough to kill – at least, in the eyes of the emperor. Yet next to the retinue of imperial soldiers who had been hired to lead her here to the Empire's doorsteps, she seemed harmless. She was frightfully thin and very pale, her skin the milky white of a child who did not often see the light of day. Dark smudges lingered beneath her eyes and her slim, bare arms showed signs of recent bruising. Long years of captivity in the Magitek research facility had not treated this girl well, and I was caught off guard. I felt neither the fear nor the awe she was meant to incite, but only an overwhelming sense of pity at this, the Empire's greatest weapon.

"Welcome to Vector, the capitol of the Empire. You must be Terra," I murmured gently, stooping slightly to look into the lowered face of my new charge. Her eyes were scarlet, shocking in comparison to her fair skin and hair, which resembled sea foam in both color and action as it tumbled in waves about her shoulders. There was something strange about this child, something unearthly, and I realized with a surge of compassion how utterly alone in the world she was. The insight robbed me of words for a moment and I gestured helplessly to the golden girl at my side. "I am Cid, and this is Celes. You two are nearly the same age. She will be your friend, and I your caretaker."

With as much scorn as the child could manage, Celes dragged her crystalline blue eyes slowly and critically down the length of her rival's frail body. I thought the girl would break under the contempt of the appraisal, but the slight flush of her cheeks was the only indicator of her distress. This was a child accustomed to hatred.

"I don't want to be friends," Celes said stubbornly, reaching for my hand in a jealously protective grasp.

Pink with hurt, Terra dipped into a curtsy. "Pleased to make your acquaintance."

Without a word, Celes turned and strode toward the palace. I turned to follow suit.

"Come, Terra. It is time for you to meet the emperor."

She nodded, still blushing, and followed silently behind.

The grandeur of the palace would be enough to strike any guest with awe, but the little girl in my footsteps cast her gaze downward and shuffled after me obediently. Not even when we passed into the grand throne room did her eyes so much as widen. This child was either stupid or wary, the latter being my strong assumption, for she was the first to kneel at the foot of the emperor.

Gestahl cast a quick glance in my direction before rising and staring long at the girl at his feet. Ancient though he was, when drawn to his impressive full height the emperor was magnificent. His robes, sewn from the finest silk, fell in luxurious folds to the floor. Flowing to his shoulders were both his beard and his hair, dazzling in their snowy splendor. He commanded presence but it was his eyes, dark and piercing, that were the emperor's greatest asset, for they missed nothing and saw everything.

"And what have you brought me, Master Cid?" Gestahl asked slowly, circling around the kneeling girl.

"Emperor, I have brought you Terra, orphan child of the Magitek research facility."

"Terra… yes, I suppose that is what they called you, wasn't it?" Gestahl murmured. "Rise, child, and look at me."

Rather than scramble like a common servant at the command of the emperor, Terra rose calmly and curtsied. "At your service, my Emperor."

The emperor smiled at this. "I see they taught you manners. But were they as competent in their lessons, I wonder? Do tell me."

"I am decent with a blade, Sire, though my skills with a weapon are far eclipsed by my…other abilities," she answered carefully.

He nodded approvingly. "I would have assumed as much. Your discreetness is admirable, but you make speak freely. Master Cid and Celes are aware of your power. Celes herself will someday be a Magitek Elite, thanks to the great work of the professor here."

I smiled and bowed my head at the praise. Celes beamed at my side, but the girl with scarlet eyes seemed distraught as the emperor demanded a demonstration.

"I-I cannot…" Terra pleaded, looking around wildly. "Please…"

"Girl, I did not give you shelter all these years to be a grandchild to me. You are a soldier, the first of my Magitek Elite. I care nothing for you; it is only your power that is of use to me. You are the key to the world's greatest treasure, and I will not be denied. I will usher in a new era, a golden age of greatness that humankind has never before witnessed. My dream will be realized; the world will be mine, and you will give it to me," Emperor Gestahl boomed imperiously. His dark eyes narrowed. "Now, show me your power."

"As you wish," she whispered, taking a step back and closing her eyes intently.

For a moment she stood still, her hands clasped at her heart, brows furrowed deeply in concentration. Only her lips moved, whispering soft words in a beautiful, lilting language that I was unable to translate but knew to be the ancient tongue. I had never heard it spoken before; to my knowledge, no other mortal speaks it. I shivered with excitement, disbelieving of what I witnessed next. Magic.

The air around the girl began to shimmer with heat, though her eyes remained shut and she was now murmuring at a furious pace. I felt the temperature climb steadily, beads of sweat dampening my forehead. Celes reached nervously for my hand.

Slowly, this unearthly child untwined her slim fingers, leaving one hand pressed over her heart as she raised the other arm straight out before her. Her concentration was trancelike as she breathed long forgotten words.

I glanced to my side. Gestahl's lips were twisted in an eager, hungry smile as he watched the scene unfold before him. His eyes were black and, for a fleeting moment, I wondered if his soul might be as well. It was the first time I ever doubted the intentions of my great emperor and for an instant I felt an inexplicable fear I had never before known. But as his face lit up with delight, I quickly put aside my apprehension and turned back to the sight before me.

Abruptly, her lips ceased their movement and her eyes, suddenly changed, flew open. Gone was the crimson, which had brightened like flaming embers and now glowed a blood red. There was something wild about her and as the air around her ignited into flames, threatening to engulf her slender body in a raging inferno, I realized that she was not of this world. With her hand outstretched and her gaze fiery, she appeared not to be the pitiful girl I had first laid eyes on mere moments ago but rather the harbinger of death itself.

"Enough," Gestahl murmured. I could see the elation in his eyes. "You have done well."

Instantly, the room grew cooler and the blaze disappeared. Terra's eyes ceased glowing, fading back to a deeper ruby, and she nodded silently at the emperor though her cheeks burned with humiliation and shame. He turned from her to me.

"Use this girl to gain the knowledge this empire needs. You will be given a few days to gather whatever supplies you may need and then you are to return to the research facility with both of these girls. Your infusion proposal is brilliant and I eagerly await your progress. I will expect regular updates," he said crisply. Reflecting for a moment, he smiled wistfully. Unable to suppress his pleasure, the emperor afforded a rare moment of intimacy and affection amongst friends. "Cid, we have waited many long years for this. You will have your research, and I my Magitek elite force. Our dreams are finally coming true. Go now, and may fortune be with you."

If only I had known then the dangerous path I was starting down, for I would have turned 'round and washed my hands clean of this blasphemy. I was toying with fate, teetering on the verge of provoking another War of the Magi – an ancient war of magic and mankind whose fury was so devastating it had threatened life itself.

I blame myself for the way the world would suffer at the hands of the Empire; I blame myself for the havoc that would be wreaked by the fruits of my research. Driven by my own selfish desire for knowledge, I was blind to the suffering around me, even to the anguish of those I loved most. For it was these two girls, these two little, innocent girls whom I grew to love as my own grandchildren, that suffered most at my hands.

It would be my technology that nearly killed them both, my technology that chained them to the empire, my technology that thrust them to the forefront of history and placed the heaviest burden of all on their shoulders: the weight of the world. I was mistakenly trying to play the hand of fate, but destiny had something much larger in store.


	2. Part 1

**Part 1: Terra - Manipulation**

"No."

I was adamant. She was too young, only in her eleventh year. She needed time to grow, time to mature. Killing is a hard business for any soldier, and this "soldier" was only a child. I could not bear to imagine the horror. But it is hard to remain resolute when the pinnacle of mankind's power settles his cold, calculating black eyes upon your insignificant self.

"A year has passed and you have completed your prototype. I see no reason to delay any longer," Gestahl answered. His tone was final; he would not tolerate any impediment.

"It is merely a prototype, not yet fully tested," I wagered bravely. "Another year will bring better results."

His beard danced impatiently as he shook his head. "The girl can be the first to test it."

The emperor turned on his heel, his silken robes billowing magnificently in his crisp, self-important stride. He was finished here. I summoned what little courage he had left to me.

"She is young and frail," I said softly. "The effort could kill her."

Gestahl stopped for only an instant, a note of warning in his quiet voice. "Her body can withstand more than you or I could ever know, more than even she yet understands. She is not one of us, Cid. You would do well not to get attached."

And then he was gone. I was left alone with my misgivings and my duty.

"Why must I wear that?" she asked in a tiny voice. There was apprehension in her eyes and I could not meet her inquiring gaze as lies slipped from my lips.

"It is to help you sleep. To stop the nightmares."

Terra pulled the ragged quilt up farther over her knees, allowing a quick smile. "My nightmares _are_ terrible..."

"I know," I whispered, my throat suddenly sore. I was lost for words as I silently handed her this most hated invention.

"Thank you, Cid," she said, placing it carefully in her lap and graciously patting my hand. She had mistaken my shame for shyness and I could not bring myself to correct her.

"These nightmares…" Coward that I am, I stalled. "What are they about?"

"Oh, they are dreadful," she murmured, a shadow of fear darkening her drawn face.

"Tell me about them," I ventured. And when she seemed doubtful, I appealed. "It may ease your mind…"

She looked thoughtful for a moment. But she was innocent and trusting, unaware that I would so easily betray that trust, and I listened as she spilled her secrets.

"It is unimaginable, really. There is fire and smoke, and these people who look so sad. They are not like us, Cid; they look different, but beautiful somehow. Beautiful and sad, so sad that I think they shall break my heart and sometimes I wake with tears on my cheeks."

I had seen these tears many nights as I stood by with a candle, watching her toss in her sleep after she had torn me from my bed with her frightened cries, waiting for the wild thumping of my own startled heart to subside.

"There is one who always approaches me. He seems to plead, to ask me something, but I cannot understand him and I do not know how to help him. He is tall and strong, with dark, leathery skin and kind eyes. Even though I know it sounds silly, he has a tail and two twisting, ivory horns…"

She glanced at me then, afraid I would laugh. She seemed slightly shocked by my solemnity, her voice falling to a whisper as she continued.

"And sometimes, I hear laughter… Amusement at their pain, pleasure at their suffering. To me, it sounds like the emperor."

"It is treason to say such a thing," I responded, but I immediately regretted the apology in her eyes. Somehow, it had become treason to state the truth.

"I didn't mean… I just…" Terra sputtered, her cheeks pink with disgrace.

"Your nightmares will no longer trouble you," I interrupted, pointing to her lap.

"Yes… I thank you again, Cid," she responded, her gaze cast downward.

I watched as she lowered it onto her head, too ashamed to tell her that it would stop her dreams at the expense of stopping all thought. Gray and twisted against her pale locks, it resembled a circlet of steel thorns. Glinting in the candlelight was a large inlaid sapphire which glowed golden as it cast its power over the victim. The light in her eyes died, fading into a blank stare as she swayed slightly. Unseeing, she got up and followed me without a sound. My Slave Crown, unfortunately, worked.

Thus began the training of the Empire's greatest soldier. All seemed well; by day she continued her lessons and by night she unknowingly applied them under the guidance of the Slave Crown. Never had she a recollection of the previous night's events, nor did she wake tired or frightened. Instead it was she who pitied me, for the overseeing of her training always took half the night and left me exhausted the next day.

"You look tired, Cid," she would say with sympathy. "Perhaps you should wear my dream-catcher." That was what she called it – her "dream-catcher". I would thank her but decline her offer, thinking I would rather live in a nightmare than live without a thought in my head.

As it was, my mind was abuzz with a swirl of thoughts, all centered around this little girl and the role she would soon play in the emperor's great plans. Though there was currently no discussion regarding the North, the emperor wanted to spread our influence over the entire southern continent. This would require much conquering, which would in turn require a large force. Adequate at best, our army was lacking in numbers and strength. It simply was not yet up to the task. And that was where we came in.

I was to provide the troops; she was to be the brute force. Progress was slow on my half of the bargain, but Terra was proceeding marvelously with hers. Though eerie, her unconscious display of the arcane arts was awe-inspiring – without a conscience to hold her back, she was a truly formidable foe. Sometimes, the emperor would even send shackled criminals to be slaughtered by our Weapon, a sort of test to prove the absolute authority of the Slave Crown. She never even blinked an eye as her victims squirmed and shrieked, begging for mercy until she forced the words to die on their bloodied lips.

Their cries haunted the few hours of sleep I managed to steal each night, granting me no peace. Guilt and disgust were my constant companions, but I hid this from my charges and buried myself in my work. This was the only way to escape the monstrosity I had come to fear most: myself. Rather than atone for my atrocities, I hurled myself deeper down the path to committing even more appalling sins for the sake of the empire.

But Terra was slowly changing. It was subtle at first, the furrowing of her brows in intense thought or a sharp intake of breath. Whenever I inquired, she would shake her head and murmur an excuse. But she was inept at masking her feelings and I soon began to catch glimpses of horror on her ashen face when she thought no one was watching. One day, I heard her sobbing quietly behind the door to her room after she had excused herself early from the day's lessons.

Eventually, her distress manifested itself even under the influence of the Slave Crown. It was hardly believable, but I swear I observed her unseeing crimson eyes gain focus for a split second and her hand stay itself several times during our nightly training sessions. I feared that by strengthening her body I had strengthened her mind as well.

Worried, I approached her and asked her outright. "Your nightmares… they have not stopped troubling you?"

She hesitated, surprised by my astuteness. "No, but they are different somehow…"

"How?" I demanded. I softened as she flushed, hurt by my abruptness. "I just want to help you."

"For awhile my dream-catcher worked," she conceded. "But recently, I see things in my sleep. They are not like nightmares, but rather flashes of… of…"

Her lower lip began to tremble, but the brave girl bit it and swallowed hard a few times, willing herself not to cry. Her pain cut me, my heart swelling with remorse. But remorse or no, I still had a job to do. I urged her to proceed.

"I see myself using magic… powerful magic I have only ever imagined," she continued softly. "Sometimes I am just practicing alone, but sometimes I use it on people… People who cry and scream for me to stop, but I can't…"

The accuracy of her recollections was unnerving, but I promised to "fix" it and the relief in her smile was so palpable I could hardly meet her grateful gaze. Like acid, guilt churned my stomach but I pushed my humanity aside and reexamined the cursed thing, increasing its power. That night saw our Weapon as ruthless as an executioner. I knew not then the lasting damage my Slave Crown was causing and life soon again resembled our feeble attempt at normalcy.

With Terra now fastened securely beneath the empire's thumb, I turned to my other task – the time for Gestahl's elite army was drawing near. Despite the remorse that made my stomach clench with pain and left me to toss in the night, I did nothing to halt the manipulation of this child. In fact, I was the manipulator, and I found myself unnaturally inflicting on Celes the spectacular ability Terra had been forced to bear from birth.

After countless nights of observing one charge, learning how to exploit her magic and thus the power of her kind, I applied this knowledge and completed the development of the process of transfusion to exercise on the other. I had turned one child into a killer and was now poised to transform the other into the empire's greatest general at the expense of innumerable innocent lives.


End file.
